West Virginia's industries and resources, then and now
Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Coal and gas, 1950 and today
Map 1, "Coal in 1950" (1950): 127,000 coal miners worked in the state. By the early 1950s a machine called the continuous miner did the main steps of mining in one operation, so far fewer workers were needed. In the 1950s and 1960s many people left the coalfields to find work elsewhere. Map 2, "Energy today" (today): Coal is mined in 21 counties. In 2026 there were 9,589 underground miners and 2,093 surface miners. Production peaked at more than 180 million tons in 1997 and is now about half of what it was in 2008. West Virginia is the second-largest coal producer in the nation, after Wyoming, and the largest east of the Mississippi, with 41 percent of US coal exports. Its natural gas production ranks fifth in the nation, and its natural gas reserves rank third. Key: dots are counties where coal is mined; a flame is natural gas. Below the maps: These are dated facts about production and jobs, not a judgment about energy choices.
In how many counties is coal mined today, by map 2, Ari asks?
- 55 counties
- 21 counties
- 41 counties
- 2 counties
How many underground and surface miners worked in 2026, together, Bo asks?
- 7,496
- 11,682
- 116,820
- 9,589
About how many fewer miners worked in 2026 than in 1950, Esme asks?
- About 138,000 fewer
- About 11,700 fewer
- About 115,000 fewer
- About 1,150 fewer
Why did mining need fewer workers after 1950, by map 1, Jun asks?
- The coal ran out in 1950
- Gas replaced coal in 1950
- The mines closed in 1951
- Machines such as the continuous miner
What share of US coal exports comes from West Virginia, Luz asks?
- 59 percent
- 41 percent
- 4.1 percent
- 21 percent
When did coal production peak, by map 2, Noah asks?
- 2008
- 1950
- 1997
- 2026
What changed between 1950 and today, by the maps, Pia asks?
- Far fewer miners, though coal is still mined
- More miners than ever before
- No coal is mined anymore
- Mining moved out of the state
What did many people do in the 1950s and 1960s, by map 1, Ren asks?
- Opened the first glass plants
- Built new salt furnaces
- Left the coalfields to find work
- Moved into the coalfields
Which claim is careful, by the maps, Tala asks?
- Coal is still mined, with fewer jobs
- Gas has replaced the coal mines
- Coal no longer matters in the state
- Coal jobs grew after 1950
A note says, 'Today the state mines twice as much coal as in 2008.' What fix does Zee make?
- Change twice to about half
- Change coal to gas
- Keep it; the note is right
- Change 2008 to 1997